Line take-up assembly for a lift truck

Abstract

A take-up assembly for storing and selectively feeding and taking up flexible line, usually hydraulic hoses, extending between the body or mast of a lift truck and the vertically-reciprocating load carriage of the truck. The take-up assembly includes disassembly features for facilitating servicing of the take-up assembly and flexible lines while mounted on the truck and further includes external seal features for protecting its internal fluid seal structure from contamination and thereby improving its durability without permitting such external seals to add substantial rotational drag to the take-up assembly. Also provided are several features for facilitating the compatible mountability of the take-up assembly with respect to the lift truck, including a built-in pressure-relief system for protecting the fluid lines and load-handling attachment served by the fluid lines from any excessive pressures which might otherwise result from the design or operation of the lift truck's hydraulic system, an improved line-coupling device for attaching the forward ends of the fluid lines to the lift truck carriage with less likelihood of leakage or interference with mast structure, and a reversible retracting spring.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In a take-up assembly for a flexible fluid line comprising a journal member having a first fluid passage therein, a line connector mounted on said journal member for rotation about an axis of rotation and having a second fluid passage therein communicating with said first fluid passage so as to form a rotary fluid coupling, said line connector having line attachment means for detachably connecting said fluid line to said line connector, and a reel mounted on said journal member for rotation about said axis of rotation, said reel including respective first and second line-enclosing flanges disposed opposite to and axially spaced from each other and a line-storing hub extending axially between said flanges about which said fluid line is collected in windings, the improvement which comprises respective first and second line-supporting surface means on said hub having axially-extending widths traversing substantially the entire distance between said flanges for supporting said windings of said fluid line, and means detachably connecting said first flange to said line-storing hub for permitting removal of said first flange therefrom while permitting the retention of substantially the entire width of said first line-supporting surface means on said hub, said second line-supporting surface means being located adjacent said line attachment means and being axially removable from said hub and from said first line-supporting surface means upon detachment of said first flange from said hub for facilitating access to said line attachment means. 
     
     
       2. The take-up assembly of claim 1 wherein said first line-supporting surface means comprises the major line-supporting surface area of said hub. 
     
     
       3. In a take-up assembly for flexible line comprising a journal member, a line connector mounted on said journal member for rotation about an axis of rotation, a reel mounted on said journal member for rotation about said axis of rotation, said reel including respective first and second line-enclosing flanges disposed opposite to and axially-spaced from each other and a line-storing hub extending axially between said flanges about which said line is collected in windings, and a helical spring assembly mounted against one of said flanges for urging rotation of said line-storing hub, the improvement which comprises a plurality of elongate connectors, each extending through both of said flanges and said line-storing hub and being connected to said helical spring assembly, and each detachably interconnecting each of said flanges, said hub and said helical spring assembly with respect to one another. 
     
     
       4. The take-up assembly of claim 3 wherein said helical spring assembly and said line-storing hub include mating detachable interlocking members through which said helical spring assembly urges rotation of said hub, said interlocking members including means for urging rotation of said hub despite the removal of all of said elongate connectors from said take-up assembly. 
     
     
       5. In a take-up assembly for a flexible fluid line comprising a journal member having a first fluid passage therein, a line connector mounted on said journal member at an interface therebetween for rotation about an axis of rotation and having a second fluid passage therein communicating with said first fluid passage so as to form a rotary fluid coupling, a reel mounted on said journal member for rotation about said axis of rotation, said reel including respective first and second line-enclosing flanges disposed opposite to and axially-spaced from each other and a line-storing hub extending axially between said flanges about which said line is collected in windings, and a helical spring assembly mounted against one of said flanges for urging rotation of said reel, the improvement which comprises an annular seal-supporting surface concentric with said axis of rotation and mounted on one of said journal member and line connector, a seal-engaging surface mounted on the other of said journal member and line connector, and resilient seal means interposed between said line connector and said journal member for preventing the entry of contaminants into said interface between said journal member and line connector, said resilient seal means having an annular shape and being stretched in tension about said annular seal-supporting surface, said annular seal-supporting surface being tapered axially so as to cause the tension in said seal means to urge said seal means in an axial direction against said seal-engaging surface. 
     
     
       6. In a take-up assembly for a flexible fluid line comprising a journal member having separate first and second fluid passages therein connected to a source of pressurized fluid, a line connector mounted on said journal member for rotation about an axis of rotation and having separate third and fourth fluid passages therein communicating with said first and second fluid passages respectively so as to form, together with said journal member, a rotary fluid coupling having dual fluid passages through which fluid may be simultaneously supplied and exhausted from said line connector, said line connector having a pair of line attachment means thereon for detachably connecting a pair of flexible fluid lines to said dual fluid passages of said rotary fluid coupling, and a reel mounted on said journal member for rotation about said axis of rotation, said reel including respective first and second line-enclosing flanges disposed opposite to and axially spaced from each other and a line-storing hub extending axially between said flanges about which said fluid lines are collected in windings, the improvement which comprises pressure relief alve means mounted on said rotary fluid coupling interconnecting said dual fluid passages for permitting the transfer of fluid from one of said passages to the other in response to the pressure of fluid produced by said source of pressurized fluid in said one passage exceeding a predetermined pressure. 
     
     
       7. The take-up assembly of claim 6 wherein said pressure relief valve means is mounted on said journal member and interconnects said first and second fluid passages. 
     
     
       8. The take-up assembly of claim 6 wherein said pressure relief valve means includes means for variably adjusting said predetermined pressure. 
     
     
       9. The take-up assembly of claim 6, 7 or 8 wherein said pressure relief valve means comprises a pair of pressure relief valves interconnecting said dual fluid passages for permitting the transfer of fluid from either one of said passages to the other passage. 
     
     
       10. In a take-up assembly, for an elongate flexible fluid line having a first end connectable to a mounting position and a second end connectable for vertical reciprocation both above and below said mounting position, comprising a journal member connectable to said mounting position having a first fluid passage therein, a line connector for said first end of said fluid line mounted on said journal member for rotation about an axis of rotation and having a second fluid passage therein communicating with said first fluid passage so as to form a rotary fluid coupling, a reel mounted on said journal member for rotation about said axis of rotation about which said line is collected in windings and a helical spring assembly mounted against said reel for urging rotation of said reel and thereby imposing a tension on said fluid line, the improvement which comprises fluid line coupling means for connecting said second end of said flexible fluid line for vertical reciprocation with respect to said mounting position, said fluid line coupling means comprising elongate flexible restraint means defining an elongate enclosure for enclosing a predetermined minor portion of the length of said flexible fluid line adjacent said second end thereof, said restraint means including an elongate inner side comprising means for limiting the curvature of said flexible fluid line concavely about said inner side to a minimum radius of curvature even though said line is under said tension imposed by said spring assembly, and said restraint means further including an elongate outer side separated from and opposed to said inner side having means for retaining said fluid line within said elongate enclosure and having means defining an elongate opening therein extending longitudinally along said outer side for permitting passage of said flexible fluid line transversely through said elongate opening so as to allow selective extraction or insertion of said fluid line transversely with respect to said elongate enclosure, said elongate enclosure of said restraint means having a predetermined width extending substantially transverse to said minimum radius of curvature, said elongate opening in said outer side of said restraint means having a width narrower than said predetermined width of said elongate enclosure so as to normally retain said fluid line within said enclosure despite the presence of said elongate opening. 
     
     
       11. In a take-up assembly for flexible line comprising a journal member, a line connector mounted on said journal member for rotation about an axis of rotation, a reel mounted on said journal member for rotation about said axis of rotation about which said line is collected in windings, and a helical spring assembly for urging rotation of said reel comprising a generally cylindrical spring housing mounted concentrically with said axis of rotation for rotating in unison with said reel and a helical spring therein having an outer end interconnected with said spring housing for urging rotation thereof and an inner end connected to said journal member, the improvement which comprises a generally cylindrical spring enclosure enclosing said spring and slidable axially selectively into and out of said spring housing in unison with said spring, said spring enclosure being mounted within said spring housing nonconcentrically with respect to said axis of rotation. 
     
     
       12. The take-up assembly of claim 11 wherein said spring enclosure is of generally cylindrical, dish-shaped configuration. 
     
     
       13. In a take-up assembly for flexible line comprising a journal member, a line connector mounted on said journal member for rotation about an axis of rotation, a reel mounted on said journal member for rotation about said axis of rotation about which said line is collected in windings, and a helical spring assembly for urging rotation of said reel comprising a generally cylindrical spring housing mounted concentrically with said axis of rotation for rotating in unison with said reel and a helical spring therein having an outer end interconnected with said spring housing for urging rotation thereof and an inner end connected to said journal member, the improvement which comprises a generally cylindrical spring enclosure enclosing said spring and slidable axially selectively into and out of said spring housing in unison with said spring, the outer end of said spring being fixedly connected to said spring enclosure, and said spring enclosure and spring housing respectively having mating, selectively detachable interlocking means for transmitting torque from said spring enclosure to said spring housing. 
     
     
       14. The take-up assembly of claim 13 wherein said interlocking means comprise a key member and a mating keyway each mounted on a respective one of said spring enclosure and spring housing, said keyway extending generally parallel to said axis of rotation so as to permit sliding of said key member with respect to said keyway in an axial direction. 
     
     
       15. The take-up assembly of claim 10 wherein said restraint means comprises a series of segments interconnected for articulation with respect to each other and a bracket for fastening an end of said restraint means, said bracket having a member insertable between adjacent ones of said segments for securing said segments to said bracket.